How do you mostly listen to music?
Every moment that I am outdoors. I take my earphones out when I am ordering
my customary soy flat or checking out at my local supermarket, because that
would otherwise just be plain rude. I’m currently working on three very
different productions: the baroque world of Purcell’s Indian Queen for ENO, the
romantic world of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at Covent Garden, and music for a
solo UK tour that starts in April and is comprised of some of my favourite songs
from opera, musical theatre and personal favourites.
Noah Stewart as Don José and Rachael Lloyd in the title role of Carmen in
David Freeman’s production at the Royal Albert Hall, 2013. Photograph:
Guardian/Tristram Kenton
What was the last piece of music you bought?
Just days ago I purchased a collection of young Tony Bennett and Nat King
Cole. I love going back in time and seeing who these great artists were before
they became the giants of their generation. More often than not, we know our
heroes after they have arrived and not during their journey.
What’s your musical guilty pleasure?
Pop music. I’m a young guy from Harlem, and hip-hop and dance music is in my
blood. As soon as a beat comes on the radio, I’m taken back to my New York City
roots.
If you found yourself with six months free to learn a new instrument, what
would you choose?
Piano. The first time I saw Nina Simone on video playing the piano while
singing, I thought it was the most amazing thing. Still do.
Is applauding between movements acceptable?
To be honest, I’m on the fence. Emotion is visceral, not controlled. The
beginnings of opera were like a circus. When people liked something, they let
you know. If they didn’t, you also felt their wrath. I grew up going to the
symphony and was taught to clap at the end of a piece and not in between
movements. Sometimes I felt as an audience member that I had to contain my
emotions for another 30 minutes until the piece was over, for the sake of not
distracting the musicians or musical flow. But when I think about it, it’s very
much like a movie. We don’t applaud after each moving scene at the cinema, do
we?
What single thing would improve the format of the classical concert?
I don’t know if we should change the format, quite honestly. I’m a fan of all
art and I think the talent of the artists should continue to inspire and bring
people back. I just saw a ballet production of Swan Lake. It was stunning. If it
was updated to, say, 1980s Berlin, I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it as much.
Art withstands the test of time.
What’s been your most memorable live music experience as an audience member?
As a young student going to the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, seeing
and hearing some of the greatest productions and voices for free. The excitement
and electricity was palpable.
What was the first record you bought?
I’m not exactly sure, but Leontyne Price was definitely among the singers I
first heard, and I fell in love with her voice and expression.
Do you enjoy musicals? Do you have a favourite?
Absolutely. As a kid, we performed musical theatre numbers before I
discovered opera. I love the high level of acting and energy required every
night. I also find it more immediate – in my forthcoming UK tour I’ll be singing
some wonderful songs from Broadway and musical theatre as well as some of
opera’s best-loved arias.
How many recordings of the Beethoven symphonies do you own? Do you have a
favourite?
I have about 10 recordings of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. I started
collecting them when I was in high school. I never can get enough of the
infinite vocal and orchestral pairings.
Which conductor of yesteryear do you most wish you could have worked with?
Toscanini. My first teacher always spoke of Maestro Toscanini as being a
superior artist. The sheer number of rehearsals he required before a performance
was immense, but so was the result.
Which non-classical musician would you love to work with?
Jay Z, Kanye West, Jennifer Hudson, Barbra Streisand, to name but a few. The
list is very extensive.
Imagine you’re a festival director here in London with unlimited resources.
What would you programme – or commission – for your opening event?
Children’s concerts in the style of Bernstein. The future of music,
especially classical music, is dependent on our children and their need and use
of it in society.
What do you sing in the shower?
High notes, no question about it!
